Agony of Desire
by Rantipole
Summary: As the fourth Roman in the Prophecy of Eight, Theo Grigori has her own journey on the Argo II. The only current daughter of Cupid and legacy of Apollo has some business to attend with those in her past life, and it happens to be Orpheus. Can she be the one to find the key to hope - the first lyre - as her family had been trying for ages? Is she the new parent of music as it's said?
1. Chapter 1

_A train, Eighth Avenue Express, Columbus Circle Station,_  
_New York City_

**December 13, 2011**

* * *

The automatic doors slid open, letting in the piercing cold air mercilessly. Theo Grigori - a long and lean girl with a regal but harsh face - tugged her scarf and jacket impossibly closer, her breath coming out in short puffs of mist. She hauled her backpack over her shoulder and stepped onto the platform, where she was met with a blast of Christmas cheer, mainly the reggae version of _Jingle Bells_ played by two caramel skinned men with dreadlocks. The infectious groove rang in her ears as she followed the crowd up a set of wide, dirty steps to the snow-blanketed aboveground, humming unwillingly to the lyrics.

Theo glanced at the decorations warily and took in at what she had been missing the past few years - the mistletoe both artificial and real that swayed above every entryway, the not-so-jolly Salvation Army Santa Clause whom swung his brass bell around lazily, green and red Christmas lights that over-lit the streetlamps. Theo stared at her watch, and saw, to her surprise, that they were only twelve days until Christmas.

Every year hoards of tourists came to the city around the Christmas season, and every year Theo sought refuge at the camp in California, hiding away from the red-nosed reindeers and pink-cheeked elves from behind her golden bow. Her step-father, and half-brother - who lived in their Greenwitch Village studio - always sent a small package of gifts, which she usually opened over the phone. Usually after she would practice with Bobby or anyone else willing from the Fifth Cohort.

Theo stalked through awing crowd, scuffing through the slush and salt-strewn walkway. Exactly _why_ Juno had sent her all the way across the country was still beyond Theo's imagination. If it wasn't such an important quest she would have insisted on sending some other demigod who came from a more valuable Cohort and be done with it. But one of their Praetors, the champion of Juno, was missing and apparently _she_ was the best to send out, seeing as she was one of Jason Grace's closest friends. Reyna couldn't leave as she was the other Praetor, Dakota and Gwen were both the Centurions, and Bobby had less experience than she. Besides, the Queen of the Heavens had dictated that Theo were to follow the orders in the dream, to be the one to go. If Juno had ordered her to travel to the original Rome, then Theo were forced to have found away.

At the center of Columbus Circle, the gazing Christopher Columbus on his marble pillar loomed over the traffic, framed by the skeleton trees of Central Park. Theo hated the sight for multiple reasons; the bony branches reached out towards her greedily, as if groping for something important. The statue always seemed out of place, gaudy, over-mannered. His pose with his hand on his hip and the way he stood reminded her of the Venus girls. The only reason that Theo hadn't tried to burned the statue down years ago was of the angel that leaned against the base of the plinth, twirling the globe of the world between its fingers. It reminded her of the many statues she'd seen of the gods, so lifelike as if it were about to come unmoored entirely and unfurl its wings to fly high above the Empire State Building.

Theo leaned up against one of the fences and proceeded to stare up at the gray swirling skies. She fingered the aureate pendant hidden beneath her cream knitted scarf, aching for its usual warmth against her collarbone. The tiny gold lyre had belonged to her mother, Marlene Grigori, daughter of Apollo, and had came into Theo's possession upon her death. Its value to Theo remained purely emotional, despite it being an antique, finely wrought Imperial gold. Not that the mortals knew that. After the small funeral, a young man - _"I was a...friend of your mother's,"_ he had explained lightly - had fastened the necklace himself for Theo. Leaning in closely, the smell of his expensive cologne overwhelming her senses, he showed her the other lyre of Orpheus pendant hanging loosely around his own neck

_"Promise me you'll wear it at all times, just as Marlene had."_ He looked uncomfortably similar to her mother, enough to force Theo to promise to this complete stranger. He had the same sun-kissed skin, and the golden locks that were just as wavy as the sunbeams that she used to draw around her Kindergarten smiling sun. He also grinned in that same lopsided way that only showed half of his blinding white teeth. The only difference was the cerulean of his eyes, the same shade of the sky on a cloudless summer day.

It was only until after she left for the Wolf House when she figured out the man had been her grandfather, Apollo, and reality had gruesomely set in that only weeks before her mother had died a hero's death at the hands of a Sphinx. She could only remember fragments of her mother - Marlene's wondrous green eyes; the sound of her rapid, silvery French; the incredible height of her shadow, always snaking its way across the floor, enough darkness to obscure Theo's nine year old form. Even after so many years it still upset her that she could only remember the small details of her mother - the stacked heels and bronze zippers that tracked from ankle to calf of her mother's gleaming brown boots - but Theo couldn't for the life of her make out the curve of Marlene's shoulders, the tightness of the renaissance curls that tumbled down to her tapered waist.

After her first year of attending Camp Jupiter she had came out to visit her family again. It had been an uncomfortable visit; her father had been frozen still on the leather couch, watching her with great interest, as if she were an experiment he wished greatly to observe the outcome of. He would gaze intensely into her face, searching for the face of his beloved wife. But frankly, Theo looked absolutely nothing like her mother, aside from the emerald green eyes. She had been told repeatedly by Marlene that she had taken after her biological father, just with more feminine features. It was the likeliness that her step-father had chosen to ignore. To this day, he still held steadfast to his belief that his youngest resembled a ghost.

Not moving her eyes off the darkening sky, Theo rubbed a hand over the gray sleeve of her forearm, where the SPQR tattoo was branded. Just by imagination she could make out the six bar lines below the bow and arrow pair, loaded and aimed to shoot. She frowned a little as a chittering dove fluttered down next to her, staring her down with beady red eyes.

"Do I have to go?" she muttered. She huffed as the dove jerked a little, as if to say, _Well, duh._

The daughter of Cupid clambered up the edge of the stone bridge. Thankfully, no one in their right mind would take a stroll through the park on such a cold afternoon. She swayed her arms a little for balance, and prayed to the gods that she wouldn't be spotted or fall flat on her face through the frozen unforgiving waters below. Silently thanking her father for especially choosing her for his more powerful gifts, she infused magic for allowing her to materialize a pair of great, snowy white wings. The same as a dove's. She took a deep breath and leaped off the bridge, her heart lodged in her throat as it always had before, although knowing already her temporary wings wouldn't fail her. With a great sweep of weightlessness, she rose into the icy currents and trailed invisibly after the dove, cursing Juno for throwing her into the arms of every roman's enemies.


	2. Chapter 2

_Lake, Camp Half-Blood_,  
_Long Island Sound, New York_

**December 17**

* * *

Theo could tolerate only few Greeks who respected Romans - Aeneas, of course, and some children of Ares - but she found the rest of Camp Half-Blood loathsome. They were certainly not like Romans, but were close enough for the two to be jealous of the other's traits. Theo found herself hating them mostly for their arts and how they weren't as harsh as Camp Jupiter. The Greeks admired Theo's militaristic style that they didn't have.

If it were up to the demigods, their lives would be kept private, but with another war coming Juno was convinced they must team up. Theo suspected that Juno was ordering this to stave off the horrible truth that the gods had lost their place in the order of things. They formed alliances so that they were deeply connected to everyone back in the Old World. Now, in America, they had to re-create what little relationship they had.

The newest demigods stood by the shore with the daughter of Athena Theo had become acquainted with - she still couldn't believe that a virgin goddess had a whole cabin of children. The broken chariot floated in colorful pieces in the lake, soaking up the water.

Jason Grace was the same as ever with his close-cropped flaxen blond hair and blue eyes that seemed to lighten up with electricity. He was still wearing his purple camp shirt, and she could clearly see the SPQR and eagle tattoo on his forearm. A beautiful girl with an odd assortment of clothes and braided choppy brown locks stood closely next to Jason. A Latino boy who looked like a son of Mercury - _Hermes_ - was checking the pockets of his army fatigue jacket, as if to see whatever he had in there hadn't fallen into the lake.

"Annabeth!" Will Solace, the son of Apollo, pushed his way through the crowd to stand next to her. As the legacy of Apollo, she was allowed to stay in the full Apollo cabin as her father didn't have a lot of children, due to his fidelity to Psyche, which meant no cabin for Eros. Will might have been a Greek, but he had forced his way into Theo's good graces. "I said you could _borrow_ the chariot, not destroy it!"

"Will, I'm sorry," Annabeth sighed. "I'll by it fixed, I promise."

Will scowled at a piece of the chariot that had floated to the shore.

"They're older than the usual thirteen, Annabeth," Theo stated as she waved a hand to the confused three. "Have they been claimed yet?"

"Claimed?" the Latino echoed.

"No," Annabeth said.

"Any sign of Percy?" Will asked urgently. The group of campers stared at Annabeth intently, hoping for the best.

Annabeth sighed again. "No."

A daughter of Aphrodite stepped up. She sneered at the three, minus Jason, and glared with harsh brown eyes. The pink eyeliner ruined the effect though. "Well, I hope they're worth the trouble."

The Latino snorted. "Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?"

"No kidding." Jason agreed. "How about some answers before you judge us - like, what is this place, why are we here, an how long do we have to stay?"

"Jason," Annabeth said. "I promise we'll answer your questions. And, Drew, all demigods are worth saving. But I'll admit the trip didn't accomplish what I hoped."

"Hey," the Cherokee looking girl said. "We didn't ask to be brought here."

"None of us did," Theo muttered. A few of the older campers looked down, suddenly finding interest in the sand.

Drew, however, sniffed. "And nobody _wants_ you, hon. Does you hair always look like a dead badger?"

She stepped forward, her tan hand raising as if ready to a snack the other girl. Before anything could be done, Annabeth snapped, "Piper, stop."

"We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome," she stated cooley, with another pointed look at Drew. "We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by campfire tonight they'll be claimed."

"Would somebody please tell me what _claimed_ means?" Piper exclaimed.

Suddenly, there was a collective gasp. The campers backed away. Piper looked around, as if she had done something wrong. She turned around the face the Latino, her mouth dropped to a small _o_ of surprise.

Floating over his head was a blazing holographic image - a flaming hammer.

"That," Annabeth said, almost smugly, "is claiming."

"What'd I do?" He stumbled backwards towards the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped, jumping back another foot. "Is my hair on fire?" He ducked, but the symbol followed him. He kept bouncing around, and the symbol of Vulcan followed him almost mockingly, looking as if he were trying to write something in the air with its fire.

"This can't be good," Butch, son of Iris, muttered. "The curse -"

"Butch, shut up," Annabeth said. "Leo, your just been claimed -"

"By a god," Jason interrupted. "That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?"

"How did you know that, Jason?" Theo asked._ How did he even remember? Didn't Juno say she took away his memories?_

"I'm not sure." He furrowed his brows and tilted his head to Theo, like a hawk. "You look familiar," he mumbled.

Theo blinked as the campers turned their stare from Jason to her. "Should I?" she asked plainly.

"Vulcan?" Leo demanded. "I don't even LIKE _Star Trek_. What are you talking about?"

"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus," Annabeth explained. "The god of blacksmiths and fire."

The fiery hammer faded. Leo continued to glanced at the air fearfully and swatting it, trying t make sure that it was actually gone. "The god of _what_? Who?"

Annabeth turned to the son of Apollo, who was still glaring at his chariot every so often. "Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk mates in Cabin Nine."

"Sure, Annabeth."

"What's Cabin Nine?" Leo asked. "And I am not a Vulcan!"

"Come on, Mr. Spock, I'll explain everything." Will gave Leo's shoulder a squeeze and steered him off to the cabins.

Annabeth turned back to the frustrated looking Jason. She seemed to be studying him, in a way that all Athena kids do when met with a difficult puzzle. After a minute she finally gave a sign of life and waved a hand to Theo. "Stand next to Jason," she ordered.

Reluctantly, she did so. Theo kept her eyes trained on Annabeth, pretending to ignore Jason's heated stare. Annabeth narrowed her stormy eyes. "Hold out your arms," she dictated.

They both stretched their right arms out obediently. Annabeth had been the only one to ever get a glimpse at Theo's marks, even when she wore long sleeves day and night. The only similarity was of the SPQR. Jason held a eagle symbol to Theo's loaded bow and arrow, and he had twelve bar lines instead of six.

"I've never seen marks like this." Annabeth said. "Where did you get them?"

Jason shook his head irritatedly. "I'm getting really tired of saying this, but I don't know."

Annabeth glared at Theo. "I'm not allowed to say," she said simply, glaring back.

The other campers pushed forward, trying to get a look at their tattoos. It didn't surprise Theo that the marks caused them to stir, as if the marks themselves were declaring war.

"They look burned into your skin." Annabeth noticed.

"That's kinda what you have to do in order to get a tattoo," Theo said snarkily. She whipped her arm back, causing the other campers to jerk back in surprise.

"They were," Jason said. He immediately winced as if his head was aching. "I mean...I think so. I don't remember."

"He needs to go straight to Chiron," Annabeth decided. "Theo, would you take him up to the Big House?"

"Sure."

Theo grinned innocently when Drew sent her a venomous glare.

Piper mouthed_ Thank you_ to the other two girls.

"No problem," Theo murmured. She sent a small smile to Piper.

* * *

"I'm not supposed to be here."

Theo gave Jason a sympathetic glance, which he promptly ignored. "We're not," she admitted, finally gaining Jason's full attention. "But we need to stay here."

"But _why_?" Jason persisted. "If you know who I am, why can't you just tell me? Why can't we leave?"

"I do know who you are, Jason Grace." Theo stared down at her hands guiltily. "I know who _we_ are. I know who your godly parent is. I know almost _everything_. Almost. Why we're here, for example. We can't defy the gods orders, Jason. I was sent here by Juno to protect you on the quest, which should come up soon."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Jason's face hardened into frustration.

"Because I'm not allowed to," she explained lightly. "We're supposed to be a secret, but with what's coming, Juno believes this is the only way in order to win."

Jason looked back up to the Big House warily. The weathervane was still pointing in their direction. _Turn around, kids, while you still can_, she imagined it warning.

"You _can_ trust them," Theo added. "I've been around for almost a week and they don't know anything. They suspect, but it isn't enough for them to actually turn against us."

Theo sighed. She threaded her fingers together, and threw her head back to the sky, eyes closed. "Back at home, we were friends. Not the closest, but friends nonetheless. I suppose I was the one sent because I'm powerful and I know you well enough. Because my father is Cupid, I can bring peace between enemies, but only for a short amount of time and if they actually desire peace. That's another reason I haven't been called out yet."

Theo was about to say more, but then she heard the familiar _clip clop_ of hooves. _"Accidenti,"_ she cursed.

"What?"

Theo rolled her eyes. _He need to learn more languages_, she thought. _"Dampnas,"_ she corrected.

A faint pink blush covered his concave cheeks. "Language," he chided weakly.

"Hello, Chiron," she said. "This is one of the newest campers Annabeth went to fetch. Jason Grace."

Jason stumbled back and tripped over his own feet. He moved her hand away as she steadied him. Today, the centaur was wearing a shirt that proclaimed _World's Best Centaur_, with the usual bow and quiver strapped to his back. His curly brown hair was slightly frizzy due to the cold, and he ducked down to avoid the porch lights.

He looked as if he were about to smile warmly, then the color drained rapidly from his face. His usually welcome brown eyes flared alarmingly. "You..." He stuttered. "You should be dead."

He trotted back up to the porch and backed up into his wheelchair. Theo could only imagine the beeping of a truck as the white stallion part of him disappeared beneath the folds of the blanket.

"Follow me," he dictated. "We have lemonade."

Theo wasn't all that surprised to find out that Bacchus - _Dionysus_ - had decorated the inside himself. Vines with dramatic leaves and broad clusters of fruit traced from wall to ceiling, popping through the nooks and crannies of the Mardi Gras masks, Greek theater types, and every other kind of mask from different cultures. An ancient looking Pac-Man arcade game flashed colors across the wall and beeped occasionally.

She glared at the stuffed leopard's head above the cackling fireplace. As Jason situated himself on the couch, she sat in front of the fireplace, as if her position was enough to convince Chiron that she wouldn't partake in the conversation. She began to amuse herself by changing the brightness of the lighting, from dim to blaring white. The leopard snarled at the change.

"Now, Seymour," Chiron said as Jason jumped in his seat. "Jason and Theodora are friends. Behave yourself."

"That thing is alive!" Jason exclaimed.

Chiron pulled out a package of Snausages from the side pocket of his wheelchair. He opened it and tossed a piece to Seymour, who growled and snapped.

"You must excuse the decor," said Chiron, gesturing to the vines and the masks. "All of this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Mount Olympus. He thought it would help us remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor."

"Mr. D," Jason echoed.

"Bacchus," Theo said, as if it explained everything.

She could have sworn he muttered the name _Dakota_ under his breath. "Dionysus?"

Chiron hummed. His hands trembled the smallest bit as he handled the lemonade, though he kept on his brave, wise teacher's face. "As for Seymour, well, Mr. D liberated him from a Long Island garage sale. The leopard is Mr. D's sacred animal, you see, and Mr. D was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature."

Theo snorted. "Oh, _yes," _she proclaimed dramatically under her breath. She sent a glare up to the leopard, who was trying to lather her in Snausage drool. "What cruel mortal would stuff such a magnificent creature?"

Chiron sent a look to Theo. "He decided to grant it life, on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all. I must say it's a kinder fate than Seymour's previous owner got."

Seymour bared his fangs and sniffed the air. He looked as though he were hunting for more food.

"If he's only a head," Jason said slowly, "where does the food go when he eats?"

"Better not to ask," Chiron said wisely.

Jason accepted the lemonade, even if he seemed as though he didn't want any. Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and flashed them a forced smile.

"So, children," he said, "would you mind telling me - ah - where you're from?"

"I've been ordered to say nothing," Theo said. _To you Greeks, at least._

Chiron sipped his lemonade. "I see," he said. "And you must have questions for me."

"Only one," Jason admitted. "What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?"

Chiron studied him with concern, as if he expected Jason to burst into flames. "My boy, do you know what those marks on your arms mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?"

Jason looked at the tattoo on his forearm: SPQR, the eagle, twelve straight lines. He then looked at Theo's bow and arrow.

"No," he said. "Nothing."

_I'm sorry, Jason_, Theo thought.

"Do you know where you are?" Chiron asked. "Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?"

"You're Chiron the centaur," Jason said. "I'm guessing you're the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Greek heroes like Heracles. This is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods."

"So you believe those gods still exist?"

"Yes," Jason said automatically. "I mean, I don't think we should worship them or sacrifice chickens to them or anything, but they're still around because they're a powerful part of civilization. They move from country to country as the center of power shifts - like they moved from Ancient Greece to Rome."

"You remember a lot for a guy who lost his memory," Theo observed.

"I couldn't have said it better." Theo looked up when she noticed the change in his accent. Chiron had switched to Latin. "So you already know the gods are real. You have already been claimed, haven't you?"

"Maybe," Jason answered, also in Latin. "I'm not really sure."

Seymour snarled noisily.

Chiron was silent. He was obviously waiting until the understanding dawned on Jason.

_"Quis erat -"_ Jason faltered, then struggled to get a better grip on English. "What was that?"

_"Latina, scilicet,"_ Theo said. _"Vos linguis switched."_

"You know Latin," Chiron observed. "Most demigods recognize a few phrases, of course. It's in their blood, but not as much as Ancient Greek. None can speak Latin fluently without practice.

"I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jason. He had a hard path. I've seen many heroes come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings. Mostly, they don't. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies. But you two - you are not like any pupils I've ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster."

"Thanks," Jason said. "You must be an inspiring teacher."

"I did warn you, Jason," Theo mumbled.

"I am sorry, my boy. But it's true. I had hoped that after Percy's success -"

"Percy Jackson, you mean. Annabeth's boyfriend, the one who's missing."

Chiron nodded futilely. "I hoped that after he succeeded in the Titan War and saved Mount Olympus, we might have some peace. I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly. I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come."

In the corner, the arcade game made a small _pew-pew-pew-pew_ sound, as if Pac-Man had just lost the game.

"Ohh-kay," Jason said. "So - last chapter, happened before, worst yet to come. Sounds fun, but can we go back to the part where I'm supposed to be dead? I don't like that part."

He looked at Theo. She raised up her hands, like she was surrendering. "I don't know about _that_ part," she explained. "I said earlier I didn't know everything."

"I'm afraid I can't explain, my boy. I swore on the River Styx and on all things sacred that I would never..." Chiron frowned. "But you two are here, in violation of the same oath. That too, should not be possible. I don't understand. Who would've done such a thing? Who -"

Seymour howled. His mouth froze, still in the middle of his cry. The arcade game stopped beeping pathetically. The golden flames of the fireplace froze, streaking up in uneven waves.

"Chiron?" Jason asked. "What's going -"

Chiron had frozen, too. His eyes were still full of worry, and his mouth didn't move. Jason jumped off the couch, startled.

_Jason_, a voice said eerily.

"If that leopard is talking I'm going to have a heart attack," Theo stated.

Jason grabbed the golden coin from his pocket. With a quick flip, it changed into a sword. Theo grabbed her bow that was slung over her back and loaded it.

The mist took the form of a woman in black robes. Her face was hooded, but her chocolate brown eyes managed to glow against the shadows of her regal face. Over her shoulders she wore a goatskin cloak. _Juno_, Theo cursed as she lowered her bow.

_Would you attack your patron? _the woman chided to Jason. Her voice echoed in her head. _Lower your sword._

"Who are you?" he demanded. "How did you—"

_Our time is limited, Jason, Theodora. My prison grows stronger by the hour. It took me a full month to gather enough energy to work even the smallest magic through its bonds. I've managed to give my instructions to Theodora and to bring you here, but now I have little time left, and even less power. This may be the last time I can speak to you._

"You're in prison?" Jason decided maybe he wouldn't lower his sword. "Look, I don't know you, and you're not my patron."

_You know me, _she insisted. _I have known you since your birth._

"I don't remember. I don't remember anything."

_No, you don't, _she agreed. _That also was necessary._

"Meaning you took away my memory," Jason said with a glare.

_Long ago, your father gave me your life as a gift to placate my anger. He named you Jason, after my favorite mortal. You belong to me._

"Whoa," Jason said. "I don't belong to anyone."

_Now is the time to pay your debt,_ she said. _Find my prison. Free me, or their king will rise from the earth, and I will be destroyed. You will never retrieve your memory._

"Is that a threat? You took my memories?"

Juno ignored his angered tone and turned to Theo, who immediately tensed. _Remember my orders, daughter of desire_, she warned. _Jason is still your charge; protect him with your might._

_You have until sunset on the solstice, demigods. Four short days. Do not fail me._

The mist of Juno retreated back into Seymour's mouth.

Time unfroze. Seymour's howl turned into a rough cough. The fire crackled to life, and Chiron finished, "- would dare to bring you two here?"

"Probably the lady in the mist," Jason offered.

Chiron looked up in surprise. "Weren't you just sitting…why do you have a weapons drawn?"

"I hate to tell you this," Jason said, "but I think your leopard just ate a goddess."

"Meaning we've just had an unplanned visit," Theo corrected

They told Chiron about the frozen-in-time visit, the dark misty figure that disappeared into Seymour's mouth. Theo decided not to tell them it was Juno. If Jason could figure it out, then he would tell.

"Oh, dear," Chiron murmured. "That does explain a lot."

"Then why don't you explain a lot to me?" Jason pleaded. "Please."

Chiron started to speak, but pounding footfalls on the porch drew out his voice. The door flew open, and Annabeth and Rachel E. Dare, the Greek's equivalent to the Romans' Augury - though Rachel was much more pleasant than Octavian - carried in Piper. Her head lolled to the side and her body was limp in the other girls' hands, so she had to be unconscious.

"What happened?" Jason rushed over. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin," Annabeth gasped, indicating that they ran the whole way. "Vision. Bad."

The Oracle looked up. Her freckled face was streaked with tears, running through the small specks of paint on her cheeks and drawing colorful lines down the rest of her face. Her eyes were red and still watery.

"I think..." Rachel gulped heavily. "I think I may have killed her."


	3. Chapter 3

_Little Italy, New York City, New York_

**October 23, 2005**

* * *

When she was younger, Theo had never realized that she and her mother's trips to Manhattan - which took up a few times every month - had been more than just little innocent excursions. Marlene had never said the purpose of their walks, only promising her seven year old trips to the carousel at Central Park, or visits to the Museum of Natural History. Back then, they had been adventures to Theo, exploring the great unknown of cities and towns. It was only until after she realized who her father was that their little journeys revolved around her mother and who had apparently been Cupid - an exchange of lessons on raising demigods in Central Park, a whispered conversation of budding powers in a bar on Wall Street. Theo simply believed that her mother brought her to all these new places as a gift, a gift for not knowing who her birth father was. But that illusion fractured once she was nine.

The brilliant autumn sun decided to show through the gray clouds that day, but the sharpness of the winds that called for winter ruined what could have been a warm day. Normally, Marlene would talk with Theo first and agree on the destination they were going, followed by the promise of a treat, but that day she led her over Brooklyn Bridge, never speaking as they walked past the thick metal cables. They had strolled for miles, finally stopping at Washington Square Park for a rest. For once, her mother seemed visibly nervous; her hands shook as she tried to light another cigarette, she fidgeted and fumbled as though she were the one with ADHD. Theo always knew when something was wrong with her mother. She could tell by the twitching at the corner of her glossed mouth or the straining of her neck. That afternoon, Marlene had aged in only an hour, becoming weary and looking over her shoulder in a way that her grandmother always did.

Perhaps it was the strange condition of her mother that made Theo pay close attention to that day, letting her be able to recall each word, each gesture, each and every emotion that hung thick in the air. Even now, as she walked with the Apollo cabin to the amphitheater for the sing-along, she can feel the dread hanging on her shoulders once again, the aching of her feet after the long walk, and the emptiness of her stomach, even if she had just eaten a full dinner.

Even though it was the first time there was a disturbance in their routine, Theo knew where he mother was leading her. They came into Little Italy often - a dingy little neighborhood with brightly colored advertisements that proclaimed in bold or cursive fonts CAPPUCCINO, GELATO, VINO. Once they started traveling again, they stopped at a little cafe that had small, circular tables strewn randomly here and there. The room was crowded, and a sweet steam that drew hunger hung heavy in the air. Black-and-white photos of Italy framed in ornate and gilded hung on the painted walls. At the full bar, men drank espresso with newspapers open before them, some with hats pulled low over their eyes that zoomed back and forth repeatedly. What called for Theo's attention was the glass case filled with desserts of all kinds, all tempting her under the soft light. She pressed he palms to the glass and leaned in, but before she could grovel for one of the frosted cakes the man they normally visited stepped forward to them, pulling her mother into a hug.

"Hello again, Marlene," he said, smiling warmly.

"Cupid," she breathed, smiling back.

He led them over to a table for two and pulled out the chair for her. Marlene gestured to Theo as she sat. "Nothing for me," she said. "But I believe Theodora has her eye on _i dolci_."

She looked at Cupid to see if she had gotten her Italian correct.

To Theo's delight, Cupid - _she still found herself stupid that she never connected the dots before; his name was the biggest clue_ - opened the glass case and asked her to choose whatever she wanted. She held the plate of a petite pink frosted cake with little periwinkle flowers with five sharp petals each framing the edges. _Myrtle_, he had called the flowers. _One of the god Apollo's sacred plants, you know_. He then winked at her, as if they had shared a secret. She brought the plate over to her own separate little table with two hands, as if she were carrying a fragile artifact. She folded her minty converse against the legs of the metal chair as Cupid brought her a glass of water, asking her to be a good girl and wait there while he spoke to her mother. He struck Theo as both youthful and ancient in a way - _timeless_ - with his straight black hair the same shade as hers that fell to his shoulders, the way his face was both handsome but rugged, and difficult to look at pointedly. His eyes were a dark brown that, in the light, gave off the illusion that they were a blood-red.

With the beautiful day and the delicious, thick buttery cream of her cake, Theo almost never noticed the conversation only two tables away. The detail that forced her to eavesdrop was the intensity of their vices, which rose and then lowered whenever surrounding people started to stare.

"You have no choice but to send her to the camp," Cupid persisted. "As she is the first demigod child I've had in a while, it's going to cause even more monsters to chase after not only her but _you_ too, seeing as you're a half-blood yourself."

"I want her to finish her education first," her mother protested. "Let her graduate Elementary before I force her into what is basically a boot camp."

Theo studied her cake intensely, hoping that they wouldn't notice how much interest their conversation had given her.

"It's selfish to keep her here," said Cupid harshly. "You can't keep her under your protection forever. She needs to train for the future, and it will be a difficult one."

"You have no right to keep the truth from me," Marlene whispered hurriedly. She snook a quick look to the surrounding tables. "What's going to happen that's so important? Why is Theo a part of this? It's my right to understand what's going to happen, especially after the assistance I gave, checking up on all of these random children. That little boy moving from foster home to foster home, the kleptomaniac girl, that boy in Canada. I still don't understand why I had to trace the records of a girl that disappeared nearly seventy years ago, how she fits into this mess. I've also made sacrifices. As has Theo."

"Of course."

Theo leaned forward until she could feel the coldness of the table seeping through her shirt. Eager to hear more, she had set the table off balance. The untouched glass of water toppled over, sending chunks of ice and water over the table. Startled, the people in the tables around her stared at Theo. She hid her red face behind a curtain of black renaissance curls and started to mop of the water on the table with her flimsy napkin. She could see the look of disapproval her mother was sending her, and shifted closer to the table, speaking in a more hushed voice. The attempts of secrecy only made Theo more stubborn to hear in.

"You have every right to know everything," Cupid said lightly. He spoke so quietly that Theo could just barely hear his voice. "All I ask for you right now is to consider whether you're willing to take the risk in having the information. Think of what could happen. You're safe here. Theo is still young, so, if only for a while, the monsters will have forgotten about you."

* * *

The steps leading to the amphitheater were carved into the side of a hill, facing a fire pit circled with stones. Somewhere around fifty or sixty campers clustered into their groups, huddling under the various banners.

Theo could see Jason in the front row next to Annabeth. Leo was near Piper - who was next to Rachel - sitting with the other Hephaestus campers under the steely gray banner emblazoned with a hammer.

Some of the Apollo campers were dancing around the fire playing on their guitars and lyres. Theo didn't pay attention to the song; she could only make out something about a grandma getting dressed for war. Everyone was singling along and making gestures for the pieces of armor mentioned. Theo bumped shoulders with Will. _The Greeks obviously have more fun,_ she thought as Kayla Bowman, a daughter of Apollo, danced dramatically in her seat and leaned over Theo to slap Will upside the head.

"Love tap!" she laughed as Will's face grew red. With the music playing along, he placed a hand over his heart and swung his long, curly blond hair back.

_"'Love tap' my ass,_  
_You hit my beautiful head,_  
_I don't call that love."_

His siblings laughed hysterically. Kayla smirked.

_"Love is very tough,_  
_I cannot help my spasms,_  
_I have condition."_

"Like a true daughter of the poet god." Theo smiled and rolled her eyes.

The flames in the pit streaked up to the sky, shifting the brightest colors of crimson, orange, and gold. The campers stood up and cheered as the Apollo kids in the front lowered their instruments and bowed. Chiron trotted up and brandished his spear that held a long row of toasted marshmallows.

"Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first -"

"What about capture the flag?" an Ares camper - "Sherman McLaggen," Kayla muttered, "thick-headed jerk." - yelled. His siblings grumbled and argued. They were already dressed in their armor with their weapons at their sides.

"Capture the flag?" Theo heard Jason mutter. "Like War Games?"

"Yes," Chiron said. "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."

"And kill people!" another one shouted.

"However," Chiron continued, "until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?"

He turned to group Leo was situated in. Leo winked at Piper and pretended to shoot her with a finger gun. The girl - Nyssa - next to him rose slowly and shifted her weight under the heavy glares from the Ares cabin. She wore an army jacket similar to Leo's, and her dark hair covered in a red bandanna. "We're working on it."

"How, Nyssa?" an Ares kid demanded.

"Really hard," she said simply.

Shouts and yells broke out as she sat down. The fire spluttered and flashed multiple color schemes of dark colors. Chiron pounded his hoof against the hearth's stones until the campers fell silent.

"We will have to be patient," Chiron said. "In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss."

"Percy?" someone asked.

Chiron merely gestured to Annabeth. She took a deep breath and stood.

"I didn't find Percy," she announced darkly. Her voice broke as she said his name. "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis - everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."

"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" a familiar girl's voice called out.

In unison, everyone swerved around in their seats. Drew stood up from under the rose-colored banner, her cabin mates blinking at her in surprise.

"Drew?" Annabeth said, the mild surprise clear in her voice. "What do you mean?"

"Well, come on." Drew gestured to the whole amphitheater, as if it held all the obvious answers. "Olympus is closed. Percy's disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"

Theo's arched brows flew up. "_Wow._ She actually made a valid point."

"Well?" Drew called down, staring Rachel down. "You're the oracle. Has it started or not?"

Rachel stepped forward, her eyes glinting wickedly in the light.

"Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."

When the loud conversations finally subsided, Rachel took another step toward the audience, and all the demigods leaned away from her at once.

"For those of you who have not heard it," Rachel said, "the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this:

_"Eight half-bloods shall answer the call._  
_To storm or fire the world must fall -"_

Jason shot to his feet.

"J-Jason?" Rachel stuttered. "What's—"

_"Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus,"_ he chanted. _"Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem."_

"Latin," Theo stated with a smile. Aside from Italian, she absolutely loved the language. She had grown up reading, writing, and breathing those two languages.

"You just...finished the prophecy," Rachel stammered. "- _An oath to keep with a final breath. And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death._ How did you -"

"I know those lines." Jason winced and pressed his palms to his temples. "I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."

"In Latin, no less," Drew drawled. "Handsome and smart."

Most of the Aphrodite girls giggled.

"Bunch of losers," Kayla cursed.

The campfire spluttered, glowing a nauseous shade of acid green.

Jason flopped down into his eat, his head ducked to hid his embarrassment. Annabeth put a hand tried to console him.

"Well," Rachel said,still looking slightly shaken. "So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."

The campers stirred. Some looked at eachother worriedly, and others had a glint of excitement in their eyes.

Then, a drowsy voice called out, "I'm here! Oh...were you calling roll?"

"Go back to sleep, Clovis," someone yelled. Some laughed at his expense.

"Anyway," Rachel continued, "we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."

"Or worse," Chiron murmured.

The campfire turned a dark, moody purple. He had the decency to look the smallest bit sheepish, as he probably hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"What we do know," Rachel said, "is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."

Chiron stomped his hoof again in the loud chatter.

She told them about the fight on the Grand Canyon skywalk - how a satyr Gleeson Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits - _anemoi thuelli_, or _venti_ - attacked, and the spirits had warned it was only the beginning. They apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods.

Then Rachel told them about Piper's vision in Hera's cabin. In the back, Drew repeatedly pretended to faint, her friends giggling along. And finally she informed them about Jason and Theo's vision in the living room of the Big House.

"Jason," Rachel said. "Um...do you remember your last name?"

Jason shook his head shortly.

"We'll just call you Jason, then," Rachel concluded. "It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."

Rachel paused, giving Jason a chance if he wanted to protest at all.

He set his merely jaw and nodded once. "I agree."

"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," Rachel continued. "Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."

"That's the council day of the gods," Annabeth said. "If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they usually do."

_Why are the Greeks so unorganized?_ Theo inwardly sneered.

"The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things...stir."

"It makes you think if Santa is evil or not," Kayla said under her breath. She sent a smirk to Theo.

"He never had a search warrant anyways," she mumbled back, a little smile playing at her lips. The Greek Apollo kids never got on her nerves, they were just like the ones back in Camp Jupiter, if not a little more laid-back.

"Okay," Annabeth said loudly, glaring at the centaur. "Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so -"

"Why hasn't he been claimed?" Sherman yelled again. "If he's so important -"

"He has been claimed," Chiron announced dramatically. "Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration."

He stepped forward nervously. He glanced at Piper, and then Theo. Piper mimicked flipping a coin, and Theo nodded encouragingly as she twisted her body around sideways and brought her fist over her shoulder, as if she were about to throw an imaginary javelin.

Jason pulled out his coin from his pocket. He flicked it up into the air, and once he caught it, he was holding a lance at seven feet long, with a deadly sharp spear's head at the tip.

The campers gasped. Rachel and Annabeth stepped back to avoid the tip of the lance.

"Wasn't that..." Annabeth hesitated and tried to point at the lance. "I thought you had a sword."

"Um, it came up tails, I think," Jason said, furrowing his brows. "Same coin, long-range weapon form."

"Dude, I want one!" yelled somebody from Ares cabin.

"Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer!" one of his brothers agreed.

"Electric," Jason murmured. His eyes practically sparked as he said that. "Back away."

Thunder rumbled above them as Jason raised Ivlivs. Lighting streaked across the sky like a fracture and hit the campfire with the sound similar to a sonic boom.

Theo pressed her palms to her eyes. When she coldnt taste the sulfur in the air, she looked up to see the rest of the demigods covered in ashes, half-blind, and all staring in shock at the innocent fireplace. Cinders like little sparks gently floated down. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from Clovis, who hadn't even stirred.

Jason lowered his lance and shrugged his shoulders halfheartedly. "Um...sorry."

Chiron patted away at the burning coals singing his beard. He grimaced as he looked at the wreckage and to Jason. "A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."

"Jupiter," Jason said. "I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky."

_Praetor of Camp Jupiter_, Theo added for him silently. _Child of Rome. Legionnaire of the Fifth Cohort._

Annabeth raised her arms as the campers broke into chaos.

"Hold it!" she yelled. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three...their pact not to have mortal kids...how could we not have known about him sooner?"

Chiron didn't answer. Theo clutched onto her stone seat, hoping that he wouldn't even drop a hint about the other camp for Romans.

"The important thing," Rachel said calmly, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy."

She took a deep breath and closed her emerald eyes. Two of the Apollo campers rushed forward to catch her before she hit the unforgiving ground and a third brought up a bronze three-legged stool.

Green mist started to swirl around Rachel's feet as soon as she got situated onto the stool. When she finally opened her eyes, they were glowing in the same eery way Juno's had before. Emerald smoke started to pour from her mouth, and when she spoke, her voice had become ages old, a sound similar to a snake's hissing.

_"Child of lightning, beware the earth_  
_The giants' revenge, the eight shall birth._  
_Desire's daughter should lose to pride,_  
_Beliefs and reality coincide._  
_The forge and dove shall break the cage_  
_And death unleash through Hera's rage."_

"Why can't it be a happy prophecy?" Will whined.

"Have you ever _heard_ of a happy prophecy?" Kayla asked calmly, staring down her brother with her lips pressed tightly together.

"Well, not exactly," Will stated.

"Then why the hell were you expecting one?" Theo growled.

The three Apollo kids caught Rachel once again as she started to slip off he stool. They carried her over to a corner so she could rest. _Well that's different from the auguries_, Theo thought. _Creepier. More able to understand._

"Is that normal?" Piper asked. Her tan face heated up as she realized she had been the first to speak in the heavy silence. "I mean...does she spew green smoke a lot?"

"Gods, you're dense!" Drew sneered. "She just issued a prophecy - Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just -"

"Drew," Annabeth snapped warningly. "Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death...why would we free her? It might be a trap, or - or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."

Jason rose. "I don't have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the Queen of the Heavens if she's in trouble."

Nyssa stood up again, only more confident this time. "Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son - our dad - down a mountain just because he was ugly."

"Real ugly," snickered someone from Aphrodite.

"Shut up!" Nyssa growled. "Anyway, we've also got to think - why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"

No one answered. They shared uneasy glancnes and focused their attention to Annabeth and Chiron.

"The giants' revenge..." Theo muttered. "Giants."

Annabeth squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "It's Jason's quest," she announced, "so it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions."

Someone from the Hermes cabin yelled, "Well, you, obviously, Annabeth. You've got the most experience."

"No, Travis," Annabeth said. "First off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."

"It's connected," Piper blurted out. She looked surprised herself that she had spoken aloud. "You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance - it's all connected."

"How?" demanded Drew. "If you're so smart, how?"

"Someone's jealous," Kayla said in a sing-song voice to her brothers.

Piper opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again.

Annabeth saved her. "You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end - by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says who I pick," Jason agreed. " The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul - Hephaestus."

Under the Cabin Nine banner, Nyssa's shoulders slumped. "If you have to beware the earth," she said, "you should avoid traveling overland. You'll need air transport. The flying chariot's broken, and the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest."

Leo stood up abruptly. "It's me," he said. His siblings stirred. They tried to drag him back down to his seat, but he he pulled away and moved a little forward, away from their reach. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!"

Jason studied him, then smiled. "We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in."

"Yes!" Leo pumped his fist into the air.

"It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him, her dark eyes grim. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."

"Oh." Leo's enthusiasm deflated. Then, as he looked at the faces of the campers who were still staring, he rebuilt his cheery facade. "I mean... Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."

Annabeth nodded approvingly. "Then, Jason, you only need to choose the third quest member. The dove -"

"Oh, absolutely!" Drew was on her feet and flashing Jason a smile. "The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours."

Piper's hands clenched. She stepped forward. "No."

Drew rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Back off."

"I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this."

"Anyone can have a vision," Drew said. "You were just at the right place at the right time." She turned to Jason. "Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things..." She looked at Leo in disdain. "Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot. Even if the dove isn't me, the prophecy said _desire's daughter_. So either way I'm still going."

"Actually," Jason protested, "that would be Theo."

"Excuse me?" Drew said snottily. She glared at the campers who started to stare.

_"Desire's daughter should lose to pride,"_ Theo recited. "Hera called me the daughter of desire earlier, and Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty; desire doesn't come within her domain. That's her son, Eros, my father. And besides, I received a dream from Hera before I came here, saying to go on the quest."

"Okay then," Drew agreed, a little to easily. "Then that means that I'm the dove. As I said before, you're going to need charm, and _that _isn't in Eros' domain." She sent a smug look to both Theo and Piper.

The campers started murmuring about how Drew was pretty persuasive.

"Well..." Annabeth said hesitantly. "Given the wording of the prophecy -"

"No!" Piper's voice became more intense, smoother and more rich in sound. "I'm supposed to go."

"Charmspeak at its greatest," Will muttered, nodding along with the others. Either because of the charmspeak or the fact he agreed with Piper, Theo didn't know.

Drew looked around, her pink stained mouth in a sneer. Even some of the Aphrodite kids were nodding.

"Get over it!" Drew snapped. "What can Piper do?"

Piper looked defensive. She tried to speak, but her air of confidence seemed to be waning.

"Well," Drew said smugly, "I guess that settles it."

Suddenly Piper was basked in a pinkish glow.

"What?" she demanded.

She looked above her head for a symbol of her parent claiming her. Her brows knitted, then she looked down at the white sleeveless chiton, and yelped. She tugged at the thing golden armbands that wrapped around her biceps, at the necklace of amber, coral, and golden flowers.

"Oh, god," she said. "What's happened?"

A gaping Annabeth pointed at the dagger that hung around her waist wordlessly. Piper unsheathed it as one would a sword and used it as a mirror. With one hand she threaded her fingers through her now perfect brown side braid that was woven with gold ribbons. She smudged her fingers over her cherry lips and subtle eyeshadow.

"Beautiful," Jason exclaimed. "Piper, you...you're a knockout."

A few of the campers who weren't dazed snorted.

"No!" Drew cried, her face full of revolsion. "Not possible!"

"This isn't me," Piper protested. "I - don't understand."

Chiron folded his front legs and bowed to her, and the campers followed his example awkwardly.

"Hail, Piper McLean," Chiron announced, more gravely then he should have. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."


	4. Chapter 4

_Apollo Cabin 7, Camp Half-Blood  
__Long Island Sound, New York._

**December 18**

* * *

Theo fingered the gauzy curtains of Cabin 7, gazing out into the darkness. The runes on the twentieth cabin - Trivia - glowed iridescent colors against the stones, Apollo, for once, was dim and not too bright to look at. Their twin cabin was giving off an eerie silver glow. At the right angle, Arcus - Iris - gleamed the colors of the rainbow, though not as bright as the others. The underworld cabin blended in with the night. The hearth in the middle of the circle of cabins flickered at times and sent sparks up into the air, reminding Theo of fireflies.

Theo bit harshly on her lip. She could feel the previous scars from all the times she had tore at the skin. Looking around the cabin, she could see that every last Apollo camper was passed out on their bunks. _Not exactly night owls, now are they,_ Theo smirked. _Perhaps being a child of the sun does that to you_, _I suppose_. Will's leg was hanging off of the upper bunk; Austin Collins, below him, was missing a pillow and spread out along his bunk like a starfish. She couldn't even start to describe Kayla's strange sleeping position. She wondered if the human body could be _that_ flexible. The room smelled of cinnamon and vanilla, and a faint sound of music drafted through the air was cold and thick in her lungs. The nearest beside clock said it was well after midnight. That meant it had to be somewhere near nine back at Camp Jupiter.

Her backpack for the quest was nestled between her stomach and drawn up legs. The main zipper was down, so she cold make out the packets of ambrosia, canteen of nectar, two bags - one filled with drachmas and the other denarii - and the extra sets of clothing. And then there was her grandmother's letter. The sanguineous inked words confused her, and she often read it repeatedly, always flipping over the paper when done, hoping for the red words to continue on. But, in the end, she always found nothing more.

_Beware, Theodora: to understand the significance, the importance, of Orpheus' lyre has proven to have its consequences..._

_...do not know the true measure of his talents with the lyre..._

_...reputed to have multiple pairs of parents - Apollo and Calliope; Oeagrus and Calliope; Apollo and an unnamed daughter of Pierus..._

_Did he really invent medicine, writing, and agriculture? Was he truly an augur and seer? Did he practice the magical arts of Hecate and astrology? Did he perfect the lyre for Hermes?..._

_...by sixth century B.C. he was widely known as the master of music..._

_...is the lyre a constellation as said..._

_...the lyre charm the birds, the fish, the wild beasts? Coax the trees and rocks into dance? Divert the course of rivers?_

_...next Orpheus incarnated..._

Theo shook her head and stuffed the letter back into the envelope. Rosmerta Grigori was always the strange one.

She swung her legs off of the chair. She stretched until she heard a satisfying pop of her arms and prowled to the end of the cabin. She had to pause a few times everytime a camper shifted their position, or when one of them suddenly stopped snoring. She heard the sharp sound of her combat boots leaving the long rug and meeting the tile of the bathroom. Clicking the door shut, she scuffled for a towel to stuff along the crack between the door and the floor. Flicking on only one of the lights, she stood in front one of the various sinks, plugged it with one of the warm yellow and cream hand towels, and filled it to the brim with water.

Theo rolled the drachma across her knuckles as the water gushed. It was strange, alien, for her to be using a Grecian method to contact Romans. She was so used to using denarii and for Arcus to be only a mere messenger for the gods only, not demigods also.

_Iris-messaging_, Annabeth had called it.

The coin was heavy and crudely round, chipped around the edges and dented in others. Obscuring the golden coin was the face of a woman with scarily large eyes and curly hair pulled back with a headband. She compared it to a denarii, which, by contrast, was thin, silver, and contained the faint image of a woman seated upon a throne with a staff. It was bordered with a ring of small circles and numbers.

She turned off the faucet.

She held the drachma over the pool of water. Her reflection stared up back at her, bags under jewel eyes, shining with anxiety. _"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering."_ She dropped the coin in. The water rippled a variety of colors, the same as the cabin she had seen just moments before. "Show me..." _Who should I call? Reyna? Hazel? Strange pale kid?_ "Show me Gwen, Camp Jupiter, please."

Images shimmered along the water. Eventually, the slideshow stopped, and the person reflected among the water wasn't Gwen. A familiar gangly boy appeared, waving his arms frantically as he stepped bravely in front of the rearing elephant, Hannibal. He was yelling at someone Theo couldn't see, his brown hair flopping down into his angular face. She clenched her hands and looked back and forth between the Iris-Message and the door, hoping no one would wake up.

"Bobby," she said clearly.

He jumped. Whirling around, his hooded hazel eyes widened at the sight of her, staring down a him disapprovingly in the middle of a rainbow. Probably not the best way to great him, but she didn't have any other way to send a progress report without an eagle.

_"Theo?"_ he exclaimed. He turned back around. "Frank! Help Gwen calm Hannibal down! _Yes_, you can help!"

"Shut up!" Theo hissed. "I don't need anymore people suspecting me."

"What's...?" He waved his hand to the Iris-Message.

Theo cringed. "It's called an Iris-Message, or IM. Grecian way to contact others. Like our eagles."

He nodded, confusion still on his face. Sighing, he ran a hand down his face. "I still can't believe Juno sent to you to the Greeks," Bobby mumbled.

"We all have to make sacrifices."

"Like what?"

_"Sanity."_

Bobby chuckled. "Are they really _that_ bad?"

"No." Theo pursed her lips in thought. "Most of them are annoying. They're more laid-back, artistic. Lack in the militaristic skills, and no orderly fashion. But...some of them are fun to be around."

He gasped dramatically. He gazed at her in horror and stumbled back, a hand placed over his heart. "Who are you and what have you done with our Theodora?" He kept up with his damsel in distress act and fell down to his knees, cradling his head in his hands.

_Maybe there isn't that much of a difference between us_, Theo mused, thinking about the two full-blooded Stoll brothers who thrived to prank the other campers. "Get up, Prewett. You're a Roman; not a distressed Disney princess."

"They don't all need a man to save them. Most Disney princesses are exceptionally sassy," Bobby stated. "And have unbelievable hair." He flipped his hair in what he obviously thought was a flirtatious way and put his hands on his hips.

Theo ran a hand through her ebony curls ruefully. _My little Renaissance princess_, her mother would purr as she ran the silver-backed brush through the locks. They were like that one Disney princess', Merida. Only black, shorter, and thicker curls.

"You're stupid, Prewett," she mumbled fondly. She ignored his choked protests. "So what's happened?"

"Nothing much," he said, looking disappointed at the lack of action. "Creepy Death Boy still hanging around with Hazel. Dakota's still obsessing over Kool-Aid. Everyone's still talking about Jason being missing. A new kid, Frank Zhang, unclaimed, still on Probatio since November. There?"

"I found Jason."

Bobby's eyes lit up considerably. They glittered as gold as the cabin in the light. "Really?" he enthused. "How is he? Does he remember any of us? How's he coping?"

"He had his memories take away," Theo said bluntly. "By Juno. We're leading for a quest tomorrow to save _Hera _with two other demigods: a charmspeaker daughter of Aphrodite and a son of Hephaestus."

"Venus and Vulcan." Bobby rubbed his sharp chin in amusing thoughtfulness. "Well that's a pleasant combination. Have they realized yet that they're technically step-siblings?"

"And that Piper - the charmspeaker - is my Greek aunt?" Theo cocked an eyebrow at him. "No. But the two act like siblings. From what I gathered, they were best friends at their school before Jason came along. Still are, actually. Only Piper was fooled by the Mist that she and Jason have been dating."

Bobby winced in sympathy. "Ouch. I'm not telling Reyna."

Theo rolled her eyes. "The Camp here is missing their leader, too. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. He disappeared the same night I arrived here. The thirteenth. I don't understand how Jason could leave in October and Percy in December, but I know that Camp is going into a frenzy and some suspect me."

"Why?"

She huffed, annoyed. "Well, I arrived on the same day he disappeared. They know about the SPQR tattoo, now. I'm not the _same_ as them, Bobby. I read and write Latin fluidly as they struggle with it. I hardly know Ancient Greek. And the fighting styles are different; they slash as I stab."

There was a rustling outside the door.

"Bye, Bobby."

Before he could say anything, she dunked her hand into the water and pulled out the sodden hand towel. The door swung open with difficulty, considering the towels were still stuffed beneath it. One of the younger campers - a little girl with a mop of curly red hair and dimpled face - looked up at her with accusing cerulean eyes.

"What're you doing?" she inquired.

Theo flashed her a smile as she wrung out the hand towel and threw it into the laundry basket near the door. "I was messaging my step-brother," she lied. "He's a mortal in Greenwich. And he's up so late because he's an night owl," she added when she saw the ten year old about to ask another question.

Althea furrowed her brows. "Alright," she said slowly after an uncomfortable pause.

Theo gave her another smile and ruffled the messy black waves. Althea giggled adorably and grinned, revealing a toothy Colgate white grin.

* * *

Theo notched an arrow into her bow. It was lighter than her other pair, which had been unfortunately damaged earlier that morning. She had been more than surprised when a Hecate child had decided to give her one of their own personal bows.

_It's made of Goblin silver_, Annabel Entwhistle had explained to her.

_Goblin's silver repels dirt_, her brother, Kevin, carried on, _so any weapons or armor made out of it doesn't require cleaning. Goblin's silver is also indestructible, and any weapon made from it would absorb the target's powers, making the weapon in question more powerful._

_The quiver will also never run out of arrows_, Annabel added. _The arrows will return back to the quiver, so you'll have even more powerful arrows if you manage to hit something with incredible abilities, like a Basilisk._

Theo also had a set of Imperial Gold javelins, disguised as a wrap-around cream bracelet with spikes. All she had to do was pull one out by the tip of the spike, and another would immediately take its place.

Now, she aimed for the immense bronze dragon that had landed in the middle of the clearing. The conch horn still blew, satyrs were acting more like fauns running around screeching _"Don't kill me!". _The demigods surrounding her wore combinations of pajamas and armor. Atop of the mechanical creation, Leo himself was grinning maniacally, yelling, "It's cool! Don't shoot!"

"Leo?" Piper pushed her way through the loose ring of demigods and stared up at him and the dragon incredulously.

The dragon was about sixty feet of of pure metal, creaking everytime it moved its jaw, as if it were trying to speak. Theo tensed and added another arrow to the bow as she spotted the cruel steel talons and unfurled bats wings. It spotted her movement, and dark smoke curled out what Theo thought stood for its nostrils as it stared her down with ruby eyes that could rival her father's.

"It's beautiful," Piper said quietly, ignoring the looks being sent her way.

The great metal beast threw back its head as Bobby did mere hours before and shot a column of fire into the sky. Leo slid down its long neck as the campers scrambled, walking slowly forward and raising his hands up in surrender. "People of Earth," he shouted, "I come in peace! Festus is just saying hello!"

"Qual è quella cosa, Leo?" Theo shouted. _Really, Leo? Happy the dragon..._

Now Piper looked her her strangely. "What?"

_"What is that thing, Leo?"_ Theo corrected.

"That thing is dangerous!" Clarisse la Rue, daughter of Ares shouted. "Kill it now!"

A familiar voice rang out that caused Theo's muscles to loose some of its tightness. _Only Praetor for a few weeks and he knows how to be a good leader._ "Stand down!"

Jason strided up with Annabeth and Nyssa until he was standing between her and Piper. He motioned for Theo to lower her bow, and she did so, rather reluctantly. He then looked up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"

"Found a ride!" Leo grinned, ecstatic. His curly hair was slicked with oil so it was just as glossy as her own, and he reeked of Tabasco sauce. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"

Nyssa gaped like a fish, her mouth forming unspoken words. "It - has wings," she stammered.

"Yeah! I found them and reattached them!" Theo didn't know it was possible, but Leo looked even more positively gleeful at his victory.

"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?"

Leo faltered. "In...the woods," he said hesitantly. "Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire."

"Maybe?" Nyssa looked skeptical, just as everyone else was.

As if to prove a point, the head twitched. It tilted to the side, and something Theo hoped desperately was oil spluttered out of its ear, drenching Leo.

He shrugged. "Just a few kinks to work out," he said, shoving his dripping curls back.

"But how did you survive..." Nyssa looked up at the creature, amazement glittering her eyes. "I mean, the fire breath..."

"I'm quick," Leo said, just as quickly as his words. "And lucky. Now, am I on this quest or not?"

Jason scratched at his blond hair. He leaned over to Theo. "He does realize what he named his dragon, right?"

Theo shrugged a shoulder. "Well, you know how Pluto named the Cerberus _Spot_." Judging from the look he was giving her, he didn't. "From the root indo-european word ḱerberos, which evolved into Greek kerberos, and then Cerberus when it finally changed to Latin. Ḱerberos means _spotted_."

Jason turned back to Leo. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin _Festus_ means _happy_? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?"

Leo looked up to Festus, as if he were looking for a conformation. The dragon creaked and shuddered, unfurling its wings to its full length. "That's a yes, bro!" Leo cheered. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the, um - in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."

"But we haven't planned anything yet," Jason protested. "We can't just -"

"Go," Annabeth persisted. "Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!"

Jason nodded, then smiled at Piper. "You ready partner?" He turned to Theo, raising an eyebrow in silent challenge, as they had for years.

"You bet," Piper confirmed firmly.

Theo nodded, a smile coming to her lips. "Definitely."


End file.
